Tratoria De Nardi
by Joy3
Summary: Syd goes on a mission to Rome and Vaughn keeps his promise to take her to his favorite restaurant. Fluff!! S/V romance
1. Default Chapter

Setting: This takes place a few months after Counteragent.

Summary: Sydney goes on a mission to Rome and Vaughn keeps his promise to take her to his favorite restaurant. Lots of fluff and romance! No spoilers. 4 chapters.

Tratoria De Nardi

Sydney felt relieved. Her father had just informed her that Sloane and Sark were going together to Beirut for a meeting with the Alliance. It would be nice to have Sloane's squinty watchful eyes or Sark's lecherous gaze on her for a few days. But, of course, they had given her a mission to complete in their absence. All she had to do was plant a bug at the office of a suspected ally of Derevko. Dixon would run his part of the op from their L.A. office. There was no need for him to accompany her and she was glad for the opportunity to perform her CIA countermission without his surveillance nearby.

Marshall gave her the tech briefing and she coordinated the remaining details with Dixon before she left the Credit Dauphine building.

An hour later she was walking towards the cage where Vaughn was already waiting for her.

"Hey," he said, a small smile spreading across his face.

"Hey Vaughn," she replied returning the smile.

"Your countermission is pretty straightforward. You'll be arriving in Rome this evening so you can attend the party at Georgio Rosseli's gallery. His office is on the second floor and security is pretty tight."

"Dixon already gave me a map of the facility. Our tech wizard has access to their security codes and will disable the alarms from here in L.A."

"Good." Vaughn removed two small items from inside his suit jacket pocket and handed them to Sydney, their hands brushing quickly, but just enough to make him temporarily lose his train of thought. He cleared his throat and continued. "You probably remember these bugs from Cap Ferrat. The CIA will be able to hear everything in real time but the SD-6 bug will be on time delay so we can filter what they hear."

The mention of Cap Ferrat where Sydney had rescued Vaughn made her remember their very happy, slightly awkward reunion there. She had thought he was dead. She felt dead inside. But in those moments with him outside Khasinau's lab, she was revitalized. Thank God I found him in time. The alternative was unthinkable.

"Sounds pretty simple," Syd said trying to focus back on this upcoming mission.

"I'll be on comms the whole time. I'll see you when you get back."

"Wait," Syd said suddenly remembering what she and Dixon had decided. "I'm not flying back to L.A. tonight. Dixon said I should just fly out in the morning since I'll probably finish up late. And I think he wants me to relax and not rush back since Sloane will be out of town. I guess I'll just find a motel near the airport and take the red eye."

Vaughn seemed a million miles away. "Really, hmmmm..." he said to himself. He was thinking ten steps ahead. Could it work? From the moment he heard she was headed to Rome he was thinking - maybe, just maybe...


	2. Rome

Chapter 2

Rome

Sydney slipped on her cream colored leather boots and looked in the mirror. One last sweep of lipstick on her bottom lip, a pucker to blot and she was ready. She was a vision to behold in her sleeveless cream leather cropped top and matching skintight leather pants. She had on a short black wig and her long brown hair was clipped up tightly underneath.

When she arrived at the gallery she presented her invitation and falshed a smile at the guard. He waved her in and watched her walk inside. Sydney spoke quietly, "I'm in," and knew that both Dixon and Vaughn were listening back home, though certainly not together. Sydney watched the guards closely as she walkied around the room. She waited until the gallery owner commanded everyone's attention to welcome them and then she took her chance to climb the marble staircase. She slipped into the office, planted the two phone bugs and confirmed the feed was working with Dixon. 

"Enjoiy yourself now, Sydney. You have the whole night to yourself. Have a gelato for me, okay?"

"Thanks Dixon. See you back home," and Syd ended her comm link with SD-6. 

"Vaughn, you there?" she asked.

"I've got you loud and clear. The bug sounds good and we've got SD-6 on time delay."

"I'm going out the back exit. See you back home," Syd said.

"See you soon, " Vaughn replied.

Sydney walked out of the gallery into the back alley and retrieved her small overnight bag from where she had hidden it earlier. She had taken a few steps toward the main street when she heard a familiar voice behind her speaking in Italian. 

"What's a beautiful lady like you doing alone at night in such a beautiful city?" 

Sydney calmly turned around, ready to fight if necessary, to see who had spoken to her. A man stepped out of the shadows. He had long blonde hair, a close cropped blonde beard and dazzling green eyes. She recognized those eyes.

"Would you like some company tonight?" he continued in Italian as he walked toward her and held out a hand.

Her eyes widened as she stepped closer to him. "Vaughn??"

He raised his eyebrows and smiled at her. "Hey, Syd," he said switching back to English.

"What are you doing here? How?..." she was in shock.

"Last time we were in Rome I wanted to take you to my favorite retaurant. I didn't want to miss that chance a second time." They were standing face to face.

"Tartoria De Nardi," she said looking at him.

"You remember." He was clearly pleased that she recalled the name he had told her a year earlier when they broke into the Vatican together.

"Can we really do this?" she asked hopefully.

"We can and we will if you'll just follow me, " Vaughn said leading her toward his black rental car.


	3. Dinner

Chapter 3

Vaughn opened the passenger side door for Sydney and watched her climb in. Even though he was playing it cool, he could barely contain his excitement. Alone! Together! In Rome! He shut the door behind her and climbed into the driver's seat.

"We have reservations in 10 minutes for Mr and Mrs D'Angelo. I planted a bug killer at our table a few hours ago just to be safe."

Syd stared at him with his long wig and false beard while he drove. "You thought of everything." I can't believe we're going to do this, she thought. "How did you clear this with Kendall?"

Vaughn smiled and kept his eyes on the road. They were just two more blocks away. "I convinced him you needed backup nearby in case of emergency since Sd-6 was sending you solo...but I didn't exactly tell him our plans for the rest of tonight." They laughed conspiratorially together.

"Well, I'm starving," Syd admitted.

"Then get ready to have the best meal of your life!"

Vaughn parked the car and helped Sydney out. She looked at her disguised handler, so handsome in an expensive Italian suit with a blue silk shirt underneath.

He held out a hand as he said, "Mrs D'Angelo, shall we?"

She gave him her hand shyly, amazed that they could share such an intimate gesture in public.

They walked into the restaurant together and the maitre de immediately recognized Vaughn from when he had "greased" him earlier in order to secure a private table on a secluded balcony overlooking the Tiber River.

A waiter led the couple to the "de-bugged" table and they sat down silently. He handed them two large menus and a pricey wine list and left them alone.

"I feel so naughty," Syd said looking at Vaughn over the menu.

"But you look so nice," Vaughn replied.

When the waiter came back he recited the specials for them and they each ordered in Italian. The two of them were so comfortable talking together even though there was such tension and electricity between them. They couldn't take their eyes off each other even as they tasted the warm crusty loaves in their bread basket.

When Syd commented on how nice it was to be away from everything and everyone Vaughn reached into his jacket pocket and said, "I almost forgot to shut this off," pointing to his cell phone. "I definitely don't want our dinner to be interrupted." 

As he busied himself with the phone, Sydney closed her eyes and breathed in deeply trying to take a mental photograph of the time and place so she would be able to remember it well. Being here, in Rome, in his favorite restaurant, with him. It was perfect.

She gave him a taste of her ravioli in cream and wine sauce and he fed her a bite of his chicken alfredo. They drank wine, they held hands across the table and occasionally their legs brushed together under the table. Still, it was very chaste and every few minutes one of them scanned the room to make sure they weren't being monitored. they both felt so satiated that they almost skipped dessert, but who could resist the rich chocolate layer cake with a scoop of raspberry gelato on the side? They split the dessert, moaning over the richness of every bite until the plate was empty. They lingered in the restaurant sipping their wine long after the table was cleared. Neither one wanted the night to end. 

Finally after several visits from the anxious waiter, who needed to open up a table for the patrons who were waiting, Syd and Vaughn reluctantly got up.

Sydney went to the ladies room to freshen up. She stared at herself in the mirror, adjusting her wig, and trying to believe this was really happening. She didn't know what would happen to them after this evening, but she couldn't imagine having a strictly professional relationship with him after tasting what it was like to act like any man and woman. Almost. They were still in disguises after all, and this wasn't their day to day reality. L.A. was. What would happen when they returned? She refused to let these thoughts ruin her enjoyment tonight.

When Syd left the table, Vaughn paid the bill in cash, left a large tip for the accommodating staff and quickly bought a rose from the older lady near the entrance. He tucked it in his jacket and realized that giving it to her would be a sign that he was interested in more than just a friendship. but she must know that by now, he thought. Friends don't hold hands, stare into each others eyes and have romantic dinners in Europe alone together.

He spotted Syd approaching him and it made him catch his breath. She was so damn beautiful. How could he have resisted the urge to kiss her for so long? He had certainly made a conscientious effort to control himself , even going so far as dating Alice in an attempt to rid himself of his strong feelings for Sydney. But they had broken up for good a few months ago when Alice told him she knew he didn't love her. She was right. Now here he was with the woman he always wanted since he met her all those long months ago. And she was walking right towards him with that gorgeous smile on her face.


	4. After Dinner

Chapter 4

"Oh no," Syd said. "It's raining," and she pointed to the window. 

Vaughn removed his suit jacket and placed it on her shoulders. 

"Stay here, Syd," he said her name quietly. "I'll bring around the car."

Vaughn ran out into the rain. By the time he reached the black sedan, he was soaked through his shirt to his skin. He pulled up near the front entrance and Syd spotted him. She jumped in beside him and they sped off.

"You poor thing," she said to him when she saw how cold and wet he was. She was nice and dry in his wonderful smelling jacket.

They pulled up to a small motel and Vaughn parked the car. He pulled out two keys and showed them to Syd. "I got us two rooms side by side if that's alright. Tomorrow I can drop you off at the airport for your 7:30 flight, then I'll return the car and meet you back in L.A. a few hours later."

Sydney smiled as he signaled for her to wait in the while he stood in the rain and fiddled with the door key. When it was opened. he motioned for her to come on in. She grabbed her small overnight bag and met him inside. He ran back out and removed his own bag from the trunk and ran back in. 

As he shut the door behind himself he looked at Sydney who was trying to suppress a giggle but couldn't keep it in. She was laughing and covering her mouth with one hand and pointing to his face with the other.

"What's so funny?" Vaughn asked embarrassed and dripping wet.

Sydney walked over to where Vaughn stood and ran her hand across his smooth cheek. She put one hand on his chest to spin him around toward the mirror so he could see himself. He was mesmerized by her touch and confused as to what she was trying to do. Then he caught an image of himself in the mirror - his fake beard had begun to peel off from the onslaught of rain and was half hanging off his face. He just cracked up. What a mood breaker! At the restaurant, the setting was so romantic, so intimate. And here they were laughing at his droopy disguise.

But Sydney turned him toward her and looked straight into his eyes. She placed on hand on his cheek and with the other hand she began gently tugging on his "beard" until the rest of his smooth cheeked complexion was revealed. She slipped her hands around his forehead and removed his wig. Here he was. Here was the Vaughn she knew.

He looked at her standing so close to him and spun her around slowly to remove his jacket from her arms. She reached up and took off her own wig and removed the barrette that was holding in her hair. Then she turned around toward him as her hair fell down onto her shoulders. He couldn't resist running his fingers through it and finally cupping her lovely face in his hands. There she is, he thought. There's the Syd I know. And love.

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A/N I can only live with a chaste ending. In my imagination they kiss a bit and stop themselves before any more clothing is removed. they talk for a long while and go to bed separately in their own rooms, but neither gets much sleep. ;)

Please review. I'd love to hear feedback.


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